Leh-Ladakh Trip Day 10 & 11

Leh is a wonderful city. It is spacious with a small population. The roads are clean and well maintained. One can have a relaxed and happy holiday here. There are some nice shopping centers available as well as good sight seeing activities in and around Leh. The weather is terrific during the summer.

We finished our breakfast and were ready to go around by 9 a.m.. When we went out, we realized that the locals begin their day only around 10-10.30 a.m. We walked around and went to the shopping area. As most shops were closed, the place looked deserted with not many people around. After a while, the shops opened and the ladies in our group had a good time buying a lot of textiles like sarees, scarfs, dress materials etc. The shopping went on for about couple of hours. In the afternoon, we found a lovely vegetarian restaurant that had opened recently. It was called the Nathus located on the first floor of Himalayan Complex. The food here was excellent although the service was a bit slow.

After a nice lunch, we went back to our hotel for an afternoon siesta. In the evening, a few of us went back to the market to pick up some articles which were missed out during the morning shopping spree. We also used this time to explore the area thoroughly. It was really beautiful and made us want to come back in the future.

After that, it was back to the hotel for our dinner and packing for the next days trip back home.

On the last day of our trip, our three drivers came back to the hotel to pick us and drop us to the airport. We left the hotel after our breakfast. The airport was a short 15-minute drive away. We said our goodbyes and thanks to the drivers. We also tipped them for their services and promised to reach out if we returned to Leh. Parting is always a difficult process and so we kept it short.

At the airport, we discovered that our baggage were having excess weight. So, we had to remove some stuff and transfer them to our hand luggage. After that, it was a smooth uneventful flight back and return to home in the hot summer of Mumbai.  

Thus ended our long & lovely holiday at Leh-Ladakh.

Leh-Ladhak Trip Day 8 & 9

It was a lovely sunny morning on day 8 that we woke up to. After morning ablutions and prayers, we had our breakfast and got set to leave The Creek at Nubra valley. This was one of the best properties we stayed in with almost everything including the weather being ideal.

We packed our stuff and loaded them on our cars and left for our next destination which Pangong lake. The route was scenic as always – rugged barren brown mountains alongside which the river Shayok was flowing. We were informed that we should be prepared for the cold weather at our destination.

Pangong lake became famous after a movie called “Three idiots” had a couple of scenes from this location. It is a salt water lake at a height of approx.. 14500 feet above sea level. The lake itself is huge which is 134 kms long and is divided into five sub lakes. Approx. 50% of the lake is in Tibet, China and 40% is in Ladakh. Balance 10% is disputed and lies between the two countries. The lake has absolutely no life as no vegetation grows at that height and hence, water creatures also cannot survive here. The place is under the control of the army and movements are restricted. No fresh water is available locally here. No permanent structures are allowed to be constructed here.

Our first view of the lake was mesmerizing. The lake has several different shades of colour to it. At places, it looks dark blue, at places, it is light blue and at other places it has an emerald, green colour. We stopped at a height and took some snaps from there. Later we drove down to the wooden rooms which were our night halt. The rooms were compact and decently furnished. However, as the night progressed, we discovered gap between the door and the walls which led to cold air coming in.

Immediately after reaching, we decided to head towards the lake which was a few hundred meters from our rooms. When we reached the lake there was a crowd of people enjoying the scenery and taking pics. There were some locals who had put up props from the movie 3 idiots and people were paying some money to use the props for pictures.

Within 15-20 minutes, we felt uncomfortable with the ice cold winds that was blowing quite fast due to the open area. So, we decided to head back to our rooms. Once there, it became so cold that few of our group members couldn’t stand it and went straight to bed. That too was not warm enough and we were wondering how we are going to survive the night here.

After some time, few of us went to a nearby room which was the restaurant and had a light dinner comprising of soup and some roti sabzi. After that we felt it is best to sleep it off. However, we soon discovered that the cold air coming form the gap between the door and the wall was unbearable. Also, the condition of a couple of our members (Jayashree & Lalitha) took a turn to the worse with vomiting, loose motions, shivering, breathlessness etc. On top of it, there was a power cut which lasted a long time. Soon, the water supply also stopped due to shortage.

We don’t know how we spent the night. Looked like it was never ending. As soon as it was morning, we decided to leave the place and get down to lower area. So, without having bath or doing any prayers, we had a light breakfast – some coffee & toast and left the place. Yes, Pangong is beautiful but I would not recommend that people plan to stay in that place simply because of the lack of infrastructure and the hostile climate.

On the way to Pangong and on the way back, we saw a strange animal which looks like a half rabbit and half squirrel. It is called Marmot. They are herbivores which hibernate during winter. During spring & summer, they are busy eating to make up for lost time as well as store fat for the harsh winter ahead. They are very friendly and come close to humans seeking food. We were warned not to feed them as it might prove harmful to their delicate digestive system. We were also told that some humans catch these innocent creatures and slaughter them for their meat which is seriously affecting their population.

After we drove for a couple of hours, our team slowly came back to their spirits. The drive was back to Leh through the Chang La pass. This is also at a great height – nearly 18000 feet above sea level. We didn’t stop here for long but got slightly delayed due to the heavy army convoys. Some of us did get down to get some pics. After that, we drove on and reached Leh by afternoon. The drive was long and our team was weary from the previous night.

At Leh, we were put up at a hotel called the Lassermo which was in the heart of the city – about 4/5 kms from the airport. The hotel was standard 4 star type hotel with very comfortable rooms & bathrooms. We had a good shower before proceeding for a late lunch. In the evening, we went for a stroll around the market area to do some shopping and came back early as the next day was completely free for us

Leh-Ladhak Trip Day 7

We woke up to a cold but sunny morning and quickly got ready for a hearty breakfast at our hotel. 

The breakfast was superb. The kitchen staff took care to cater to our specific requirements and the fare was simple yet tasty and healthy. After this, we got into our vehicles to a long drive to Turtuk village – which is the last village bordering Pakistan. This village was on the Pakistan side till 1971 when after the war, it was recaptured by the Indian army. Unfortunately, many of the villagers were separated from their near & dear ones in the process. This area is now under the control of the Ladakh Scouts.

The drive was beautiful along the riverbanks for most of the time. We had to pass through a narrow steel bridge which allowed only one vehicle to pass at a time. After a long 4 hour drive, through spectacular mountain ranges & villages, we reached Turtuk village. The was quite a crowd here – all eager to get view the Pakistan side through binoculars (available at a nominal rent) and get themselves photographed at the border. The villagers had put up several stalls here to sell locally made stuff as well as fruits. There was even a stall to dress as locals and get photographed for a small price.

We then went to the village after lunch at a pure vegetarian restaurant called Khan Hotel. It seems that many of the villagers have realized that there is a demand for pure vegetarian and vegan food from tourists and they have adapted to cater to that.

The village was beautiful and quaint. We had a good walk through the gullies having small houses and tiny farms. We did small talk with the friendly locals who said that they have seen more prosperity after becoming part of India. The do miss their relatives with whom they are unable to have much contact. Their livelihood is mainly made from farming, providing porters and mules to the army and tourists inflow. They have set up small museums to showcase their lifestyle and have small shops selling local produce as well as artefacts.

We took some pictures of ourselves here. Some locals were more than happy to get themselves photographed with us while a few ladies objected even though they were not being clicked. Locals were generally very amiable as tourists are important part of their economy. After some time, the weather changed, and it started raining. So, we decided to return to Nubra.

The drive back was through a slight drizzle for part of the way. When we reached our hotel, it was evening. We took some rest before having dinner and retiring for the night.

Leh-Ladakh trip Day 6

The property at Uley where we stayed was fabulous. The name of the property is Uley Ethnic Resort. It has a total of about 20 cottages set amidst an apple and apricot orchard. It is like a five-star property without a swimming pool. The property overlooks the Sindhu River flowing by about 25 meters below. The cottages are compact with a room and a bathroom which are well furnished. They have a separate recreation room and a dining room. The dinner was served very elegantly to us by about 3 servers fussing around us and pampering our every request. It started with soups, 2 different starters, and a full 7 course dinner complete with salads, main course, assortment of breads etc. and finished with a lovely, sweet dish.

The night became very cold here and we had to use couple of hot water bags inside the blanket to keep us warm. One couple found earthworms in their bed – perhaps they came to keep themselves warm!! The next morning, we discovered that hot water is not available on the tap, and one must order for it. We got them in buckets to have our bath.

Ramesh & Lakshmi had decided to terminate the trip due to her health issues. And although she felt much comfortable here at this location, they had to leave early morning to Leh as the new tickets were already booked. We had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel. Two of us ventured down the hillside to get to the river. It was a short but difficult trek as there was no clear pathway. We took some pics at the riverside before heading back up.

At about 10.30 a.m., we left for Leh in two vehicles. The other vehicle had gone ahead to the airport in the morning with Ramesh & Lakshmi. We met the other vehicle at Leh and from this time onwards we had 3 vehicles for 8 passengers. Quite a luxury indeed.

Our destination was Nubra Valley for which we had to pass through the 2^nd highest motorable road in the world – the Khardungla Pass (KP). We were excited to see this point as it is a famous spot for all tourists. The drive to KP from Leh was completed in about two and a half hours. As we neared it we could see snow all around us. Entire peaks, passes and valleys were covered with snow. It was a fabulous sight indeed. We got down on the way to play around in the snow and take pictures.

At KP, which is at a height of nearly 17600 feet above sea level, the oxygen level is very low and people can get affected by staying there for too long without proper acclimatization. Hence, we stayed for a max of only 15 minutes. The way down from there took more time due to traffic caused by a convoy of army vehicles. The roads are slippery there due to melting snow and we could see few vehicles had chains tied to their tires to prevent them from skidding.

We reached Nubra valley by evening. On the way, we crossed a huge patch of sand dunes caused by the silt of the rivers as well as sand blown down from the mountains by the wind. It looked like a desert, and we could see such activities there. For e.g., rides on Bactrian camels which had 2 humps, 4-wheel jeep rides etc. When we reached our hotel, it was nearly dusk.

This was also another superb property (The Creek) with about 20 cottages spread over 3 acres of land. Each cottage was very well furnished and had all arrangements one can look forward to from a top-class hotel. We also had an open to the sky bath area which none of us used as it was too cold for us. Dinner at the hotel was preceded by some time by the open-air fireside. As it was cold, the fire was very comforting. Later we had a sumptuous yet simple dinner before retiring for the night.